Audit Chief Warns ORF Post Debates Point to Dependence | allfacts360
Court of Audit President: ORF Appointment Debates Signal Dependence, Not Independence
Vienna, 23 May 2026
Österreichisches Außenministerium / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
Summary
Margit Kraker, president of the Austrian Court of Audit, has warned that current debates over ORF appointments undermine the public broadcaster's independence. She called for political reforms to ensure transparent, merit-based processes and highlighted ongoing audits into ORF's use of public funds.
Vienna, 23 May 2026
On Saturday, Austrian Court of Audit President Margit Kraker told Ö1's 'Journal zu Gast' that ongoing appointment debates at public broadcaster ORF are a sign of dependence rather than independence, urging politicians to reform governance structures.
The independence of Austrian public broadcasting must be strengthened, Kraker stressed, before sharply criticizing the current situation. "Die aktuellen Debatten, die sich vielfach um Postenbesetzungen drehen, obwohl eine öffentliche Ausschreibung läuft, die sind jetzt kein Zeichen in Richtung von mehr Unabhängigkeit, sondern vielleicht sogar Abhängigkeit," she said (translation: "The current debates, which largely revolve around appointments even though a public tender is underway, are not a sign of more independence but perhaps even dependence").
Kraker urged politicians to address the root causes rather than focusing on individual appointments. "Die Politik soll sich darum kümmern, wie sie die Gremien reformiert, wie sie die Institution unabhängiger macht und wie sie hier die gesetzlichen Grundlagen schafft," she said, calling for a reform of the ORF Foundation Board (Stiftungsrat) to remove the influence of informal networks.
The concept of "Freundeskreis" (circle of friends) was described by Kraker as a "Relikt aus vergangener Zeit" (relic from a bygone era). She insisted that appointments must be based on merit and transparent processes: "dass man eine Ausschreibungsfrist abwartet, dass man nicht in Freundeskreisen bestimmt, sondern dass die keine Rolle spielen. Und dass man hier dann eine gute Auswahl trifft." The Foundation Board, she argued, should be "unabhängig sein und vor allem nicht von Freundeskreisen abhängen," and she pointed to international models as examples.
Calls for Governance Reform
Kraker made it clear that the matter of who sits on the board is a political question, but the current system risks politicization. "Es sei Frage der Politik, wie sie den Stiftungsrat aufstellt," she noted, emphasizing that the target must be to overcome the old ways.
The remarks come as the Austrian Court of Audit is conducting a wide-ranging examination of the ORF's operations.
"Wir haben schon einmal die Haushaltsabgabe geprüft und prüfen jetzt das Thema Personal, den Personaleinsatz, die Personalstrukturen, die Gehaltsstrukturen und auch das Thema Compliance," Kraker stated. The ORF is financed by the public, and the audit is aimed at creating transparency over the use of those funds. "da geht es darum, dass wir Transparenz schaffen über den Umgang mit öffentlichen Mitteln."
ORF Audits and Transparency
The audit is scrutinizing various service and pension contracts at the broadcaster. "Auch diese diversen Dienst- und Pensionsverträge schaut sich der Rechnungshof 'genau' an," Kraker said. She added that she is uncertain a single report will be sufficient to cover all findings: "Ich bin auch nicht sicher, dass wir mit einem Bericht auskommen werden."
The final report, Kraker hopes, will be ready by the end of the year. It is intended to serve as a basis not only for the current interim leadership but for a new general directorate, "für wahrscheinlich nicht mehr nur für die interimistische Führung, sondern für eine neue Generaldirektion, um dann die entsprechenden Schritte einzuleiten und Dinge abzustellen, wenn es Auswüchse gibt." That is, to take corrective action if excesses are found.
Turning to the federal budget, Kraker expressed concern about the planned double budget for 2027/28. "Alle mühen sich ab, um die Konsolidierungsziele irgendwie zu erreichen – das vergrämt viele Stellen, weil es zu Kürzungen kommt," she said, warning that delaying consolidation to 2029, an election year, risks repeating the overspending seen in 2024.
Budget, Pensions, and Party Funding Critique
She called for timely pension reforms, citing the demographic situation. "Zuwarten ist keine Option. Man sollte damit anfangen, schrittweise zu erhöhen," Kraker said, stating that raising the retirement age to effectively reach 65 is a "logischer" step. "Das funktioniert nicht mit dem ewigen Fortschreiben," she added, criticizing the practice of postponing difficult decisions.
Kraker also identified potential savings in party financing. Total federal and state support for parties, parliamentary clubs, and party academies amounts to 270 million euros. "Wenn man die Universitäten kürzen kann, kann man auch die Parteienförderung kürzen," she argued, noting that party funding saw a significant increase in 2024 without the funds being fully used.
On healthcare, Kraker said the current system cannot be saved by "singuläre Maßnahmen" (singular measures). The Court of Audit has presented its own ideas for restructuring by 2040, focusing on patient quality. "Die Menschen müssen auch die richtigen Angebote haben," she said, emphasizing that hospitals are expensive when not used efficiently. She advocated for steering patients to appropriate care levels, as many go directly to hospital emergency rooms for non-urgent issues. "Deswegen muss man eine Reform machen," Kraker concluded.
